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     • VIDEO: Josie Graybeal
     • LiveStats link for both games
 
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 --
Azusa Pacific at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 --
Hawaii Pacific at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
LiveStats for Both Games:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc
 
The Seattle Pacific women (1-1) complete the non-conference portion of the soccer schedule with a pair of home games this week. The Falcons host their Interbay Stadium home opener on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. against Azusa Pacific (1-1). That marks the first ever meeting between SPU and the Cougars. On Saturday, Sept. 8 Hawaii Pacific (1-0) caps a three-game swing through the Northwest to clash with the Falcons. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium. Next week the SPU women begin Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on the road at Montana State Billings (Sept. 13) and Northwest Nazarene (Sept. 15).
 
Home Openers
Seattle Pacific is its 12th year of women's soccer competition. The Falcons are undefeated in all-time home-opening games with a 10-0-1 record. The only home opener they did not win was a 1-1 tie against Cal State San Bernardino in 2008 and SPU proceeded to win the NCAA Division II national championship that season.
 
Ticket Talk
Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased on game day at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119). Ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff. All seats are general admission and priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for reduced ticket rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.
 


Playoff Pursuit
Seattle Pacific seeks to return to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 10th straight year. The Falcons won the 2008 national championship. Last season they advanced to the West Region semifinal before losing 2-1 at Cal State L.A. on an 80th-minute goal. SPU advanced to the Final Four on three occasions (2005, 2007, 2008).
 
Last Week
SPU started the season strong with three goals in the opening 20:25 of a 3-1 win at Notre Dame de Namur (Aug. 30). The Falcons faltered in their next outing, losing a 2-1 neutral-site decision against Cal State San Marcos despite a 19-7 shooting advantage.
 
2012 Preview
Six starters return from the GNAC championship SPU squad that reached the West Regional semifinals of the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament. Topping the list of returnees is leading scorer Megan Lindsay, a senior who netted 12 goals last year. She had four game-winning strikes and helped SPU outscore opponents 56-13. Lindsay is joined on the forward line by sophomores Ali Martin and Heather Young, who both started strong last year before being sidelined with mid-season injuries. A pair of award-winning midfielders are back in second-team all-conference senior Brittany Langdon and sophomore Riley Dopps, the 2011 GNAC Freshman of the Year. The backline features first-team all-region defender Josie Graybeal. Junior goalkeeper Natalie Harold compiled a 0.62 goals against average in 11 starts last season.
 
2011 Review
The SPU women registered a 17-3-0 overall record in 2011, won their eighth GNAC title and participated in the postseason for the ninth straight season. They routed Grand Canyon 4-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 2-1 at Cal State L.A. The Falcons had a 13-1-0 conference record, finishing first in the GNAC standings for the third consecutive campaign. Departed midfielder Kelsey Jenkins was the 2011 GNAC Player of the Year after leading the team with 11 assists. SPU lost its No. 2 scorer in Kellie Zakrzewski who netted 10 goals. The back line took the biggest blow with the departures of starting defenders Taylor Sawyer, Andrea Chan and Janie Wurth.
 
This Week's Opponents
Azusa Pacific (1-1-0) -- Thursday marks the first ever women's soccer meeting between the Cougars and Seattle Pacific. Azusa Pacific opened the season with a 2-1 overtime loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills, but came back to rout Biola 5-0 in their next outing. Natalie Sun leads the Azusa offense with two goals. Goalkeeper Michelle Wieland, who boasts 27 career shutouts, has a 0.92 goals against average this season. The Cougars are in their first year as NCAA Division II members of the Pac West Conference. Returning players accounted for 30 of the 33 goals APU tallied during a 16-3-2 season that ended in the semifinals of the 2011 NAIA tournament.
 
Hawaii Pacific (1-0-0) -- The Sea Warriors started the season with a 2-0 home win over Eastern New Mexico. Goalkeeper Kiana Kaiwi registered three saves en route to the shutout. They have two more games before playing Saturday in Seattle, visiting Simon Fraser on Tuesday and Western Washington on Thursday. HPU posted a 10-5-2 record in 2011. Senior forward KaUa Wall returns after leading the team with nine goals last year. SPU won the only previous meeting with the Sea Warriors, getting a 2-1 overtime decision in Hawaii during the 2010 season.
 
Coach Chuck  Sekyra
In his 10th season, Chuck Sekyra has guided Seattle Pacific to a remarkable 168-20-14 record, three Final Four appearances and the 2008 national championship. He directed seven of those teams to GNAC championships, and all nine of his squads participated in the NCAA tournament. His Falcons advanced to the 2005 championship game. Sekyra was a defender on the SPU men's soccer teams that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1985 and 1986. He served as an assistant men's coach at SPU in 1998 and 1999 under Cliff McCrath, then was an assistant women's coach at Washington for three years before being named head coach of the SPU women in 2003. Sekyra was named GNAC Coach of the Year six times (2003-05, 2007, 2009, 2011) and the Regional Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007. He received the NSCAA National Coach of the Year award in 2007.
 
GNAC Poll
With eight championships in the 11-year history of the program, it's no surprise that the Seattle Pacific Falcons are the favorites once again to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title. This time, it's unanimous. The Falcons received all eight first-place votes and the maximum of 64 points in the conference preseason coaches poll. Coming closest to SPU in the polling was Western Washington, which was a near-unanimous second with 55 points. From there, it was a significant drop to third-place Montana State Billings with 44 points. The Falcons and Yellowjackets will meet in their GNAC opener on Sept. 13 in Billings. SPU also drew attention nationally, opening the season in the No. 19 position of the national coaches rankings.
 
“We're certainly used to it,” SPU head coach Chuck Sekyra said of being the favorite. “We're comfortable there, but we know that ultimately, it means nothing. We have to earn it, and we have to go out and prove it. We look at every game as important. We treat every game the same and we respect every opponent.”